Last week was the Community for Environmental Farming System’s Sustainable Agriculture Week, which saw numerous events to raise awareness on campus. One such event was a screening and discussion panel of the film Ingredients played in Witherspoon Student Cinema Sept. 14.
According to the film, seasonal eating is becoming increasingly important and attracting new farmers across the United States.
“I really enjoy this sort of movie,” Ansilta De Luca-Westrate , a sophomore in elementary education, said. “The reason I’m studying this now is because of documentaries like this.”
Creating new farmers is important to an economy that no longer includes farming as an occupation on the U.S . census. These days, farmers are checking the “other” box when describing their profession.
With 5,200 American deaths each year related to foodborne illnesses it’s no wonder why people are becoming more aware of where their food is coming from.
As discussed in the documentary, one-fifth of our natural oil consumption goes toward the shipping and production of food.
With an oil shortage and energy problems that are expected to increase we should not be buying crops from far-away places when the same crops can be grown in our own back yards.
On average, in order to preserve the quality of the product, smaller farming is typically employed, according to agricultural studies. Right now, most farmers are not able to feed the masses using sustainable agricultural methods. In time, mass production methods are likely going to change.
Ingredients also looked at the land use laws meant to help protect farmers from suburban sprawls. However, this only provides a small amount of protection.
With an expanding population and decreased farming lands, the film, as well as the panel discussion that followed, emphasized that it is time for everyone to wake up and look around at what is happening. In order for sustainable agriculture to grow, there needs to be lush farming lands near the cities.
Eating seasonally is a simple and cost effective way of finding the tasty nutrients the body deserves. Vegetables and fruits can be grown year round and every season there are new varieties of crops being harvested throughout the U.S .
One popular purchasing method is reliant upon CSA’s, or community supported agriculturalist groups. These shareholder groups pay for their food costs at the beginning of a season. Farmers receive their money directly from this method of crop purchases, weeding out middleman costs.
The buying is done before seedlings are planted. Once the crops are ready, people go out to the farms and pick out their vegetables or have them delivered directly to their homes.
According to Ingredients, recent studies have shown children will eat veggies if they are included in the process. Also, students are likely to choose fresh foods if they are offered in their schools.
This bit of information is largely important because the current generation is expected to have a shorter life span than past generations due to unhealthy eating habits.
There is a problem when the U.S . is purchasing food from the poorest countries in the world. This is true especially in places like Haiti and Ethiopia. These countries are struggling to feed their own citizens.
Supporting local food does not mean that we are not able to experience the satisfaction of chocolate, coffee or bananas, but it must, and will, become more mainstream the more often it is practiced.
“The movie made me want to go to the farmer’s market to get some local food,” Alyssa Poulin , a junior in international studies, said.
During the panel discussion that followed the film, students were encouraged to go to the farmers market and spend their money on locally-grown produce and other such products instead of fast food.
The University Farmers Market takes place from 10 a.m . to 3 p.m . every Wednesday in the Brickyard. Film panelist Gary Wise from Wise Farms, a former N.C . State graduate, encourages students to make purchases and to learn more about North Carolina farming and sustainable agriculture.
